PITTA. 283 



to almost black, the other from pale lilac to sepia. The markings 

 are very commonly most dense, largest, and most pronounced in 

 colour about the large end, where they not unfrequently form an 

 irregular scratchy, speckly cap. In some eggs all the markings 

 are very small and speckly and are comparatively densely set. In 

 others they are larger, more intense in colour, and much less 

 numerous. 



Pitta cyanoptera, Temm. The Lesser Blue-winded Pitta. 

 Pitta moluccensis (Mutt.), Hume, Cat. no. 346 bis. 



The Lesser Blue-winged Pitta occurs and breeds throughout 

 British Burma, from Tonghoo to the Pag-chan Estuary, and from 

 the coast of Arracan to Karennee, keeping, as a rule, however, 

 in the thin tree-jungle that everywhere skirts the bases of the in- 

 numerable larger and smaller hill-ranges that intersect the Pro- 

 vince. It is not as a rule, I believe, a permanent resident, but 

 suddenly makes its appearance between the early part of April and 

 the end of May, arriving earlier at Tavoy, for instance, and later 

 at Thayetinyo. It comes and goes in a very strange manner. One 

 day thousands are to be seen, the next not a bird is to be found ; 

 but when the monsoon commences they settle down here and 

 there and breed, laying five or six eggs, and by the cold season 

 have all, or mostly all, retreated south. P. brachyura similarly 

 moves in multitudes upwards in India, about the setting-in of the 

 S.AV. monsoon. 



Davison was, 1 believe, the first to take the eggs of this species. 

 Writing from Amherst, in 1875, he remarks : 



" On the 15th July I found a nest of this Ground-Thrush con- 

 taining six very much incubated eggs (shooting the bird as she flew 

 from her nest). This nest also, like that of P. cucullata, was placed 

 on the ground at the root of a small tree ; but it was built in much 

 thinner jungle, only about 3 or 4 yards from a footpath, and was 

 quite exposed to view. It was conspicuously smaller and much less 

 roughly put together, though composed of exactly the same materials 

 (to wit, dry twigs and leaves, and lined with fibres) as the nest of 

 P. cucullata ; but the roof -sides, as well as foundation, were much 

 thinner, and it wanted the conspicuous platform in front of the 

 entrance-hole of the nest of that species the entrance in this 

 present nest being almost on a level with the ground. It measured 

 8 inches in diameter, 5-5 in height, the entrance 3'5 in diameter; 

 the egg-cavity 5-5 wide interiorly and 3'5 high. 



" These Ground-Thrushes apparently sit very close, as in both 

 this case and in that of P. cucullata I walked to within a couple 

 of feet of the nests before the birds left them." 



Mr. Oates writes from Pegu : " June 27th. Nest placed on 

 the ground in thick forest on a hill-side in a small patch of thatch- 

 grass, but in no way concealed from view. Oven-shaped, about 



